Advertising a smallholding for sale

[Old McDonald]

I think I might be going to retire. General old age and the after effects of a bad fall last winter have left me needing assistance with heavier tasks, and I do not like it. At the very least I intend to cut right back on work and probably cease commercial operations altogether.

We are now advertising the property for sale and doing the job ourselves. Details are on my website www.oldmcdonaldsolives.com which is now dedicated to the sale. Three local estate agents have been with a view to us using them, but none of them had any interest in the business. They wanted to sell a house and some land – and talked down the asking price on the basis we would obtain a quick sale. Never known an estate agent do that before, but other people tell me it is normal here. I also tried the online sites Rightmove and GreenAcres, but they would not issue zero rated VAT invoices – which is what they have to do for intra community trade under EU regs. Zoopla only takes sales from registered estate agents.

I have placed a notice in the Auctions & Properties section of TFF, and arranged ads to appear in Smallholder and Country Smallholding and on their websites, and working with an Irish publication, but I wondered if members had any suggestions for other publications in northern mainland Europe countries. Income will be maximised by the new owner selling produce in their now home country rather than Portugal where “everybody” has their own olive oil, and that is the main product at this stage.

I am not desperate to sell, and would have liked another 5 years here, but have decided I want to spend some time on the Azores (lots of new things to grow) and get back into sea fishing, which I have not done for 30 years. After that we still intend to die in Scotland.

 

[bovrill]

Good luck with it, it does look a lovely place, especially on a wet and miserable day like it is here today!

 

[Ashtree]

I think I might be going to retire. General old age and the after effects of a bad fall last winter have left me needing assistance with heavier tasks, and I do not like it. At the very least I intend to cut right back on work and probably cease commercial operations altogether.

We are now advertising the property for sale and doing the job ourselves. Details are on my website www.oldmcdonaldsolives.com which is now dedicated to the sale. Three local estate agents have been with a view to us using them, but none of them had any interest in the business. They wanted to sell a house and some land – and talked down the asking price on the basis we would obtain a quick sale. Never known an estate agent do that before, but other people tell me it is normal here. I also tried the online sites Rightmove and GreenAcres, but they would not issue zero rated VAT invoices – which is what they have to do for intra community trade under EU regs. Zoopla only takes sales from registered estate agents.

I have placed a notice in the Auctions & Properties section of TFF, and arranged ads to appear in Smallholder and Country Smallholding and on their websites, and working with an Irish publication, but I wondered if members had any suggestions for other publications in northern mainland Europe countries. Income will be maximised by the new owner selling produce in their now home country rather than Portugal where “everybody” has their own olive oil, and that is the main product at this stage.

I am not desperate to sell, and would have liked another 5 years here, but have decided I want to spend some time on the Azores (lots of new things to grow) and get back into sea fishing, which I have not done for 30 years. After that we still intend to die in Scotland.

Good luck with the sale and indeed the retirement. A spell in the Azores sounds interesting.

Maybe this link could be of interest https://www.pureportugal.co.uk/

 

[Danllan]

A bit sad in one way, very pleasant in another. Can't see that you aren't doing all that should be done regarding the sale. Will you change your user name to 'Older McDonald' or 'Retired McDonald'?

 

[JP1]

Not sure if you - or a family member - are on Facebook but there are a number of groups dedicated to rural diversification projects / added value businesses etc as well as the more general farming for sale groups. Certainly posting it on Instagram and Facebook with some catchy hashtags would get it syndicated around social media and draw attention back to your own web site which - I agree - lays out the opportunity for Northern Europe distribution of your farm's output.

I wish you well with your plant growing and the sea fishing

 

[Still Farming]

Looks Fantastic place and a credit to you all.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Are there any fish in the river?

 

[Still Farming]

How long you been out there?

 

[bigg6480]

If you could just hold on the it for another 30 years........

 

[davieh3350]

I think I might be going to retire. General old age and the after effects of a bad fall last winter have left me needing assistance with heavier tasks, and I do not like it. At the very least I intend to cut right back on work and probably cease commercial operations altogether.

We are now advertising the property for sale and doing the job ourselves. Details are on my website www.oldmcdonaldsolives.com which is now dedicated to the sale. Three local estate agents have been with a view to us using them, but none of them had any interest in the business. They wanted to sell a house and some land – and talked down the asking price on the basis we would obtain a quick sale. Never known an estate agent do that before, but other people tell me it is normal here. I also tried the online sites Rightmove and GreenAcres, but they would not issue zero rated VAT invoices – which is what they have to do for intra community trade under EU regs. Zoopla only takes sales from registered estate agents.

I have placed a notice in the Auctions & Properties section of TFF, and arranged ads to appear in Smallholder and Country Smallholding and on their websites, and working with an Irish publication, but I wondered if members had any suggestions for other publications in northern mainland Europe countries. Income will be maximised by the new owner selling produce in their now home country rather than Portugal where “everybody” has their own olive oil, and that is the main product at this stage.

I am not desperate to sell, and would have liked another 5 years here, but have decided I want to spend some time on the Azores (lots of new things to grow) and get back into sea fishing, which I have not done for 30 years. After that we still intend to die in Scotland.

Thats about the best thing you can do in scotland these days


not any time soon though

 

[Exfarmer]

Good luck with the sale. I just wish I could persaude my wife to come to Portugal
Should have planted vines not olives

 

[Henarar]

Good luck with the sale and the fishing Old Mac

 

[Old McDonald]

Thank you all for the quick responses, and the good wishes too, I will not quote everybody, but just reply in order where appropriate.

PurePortugal is on the list of those places to use - we do not expect a great rush of viewers so will be spreading the ads over time. I started a Facebook account this morning, and my webpage designer will be setting up what is required.

I had not thought about changing my name. I have been Old McDonald for nearly 30 years, when we bought bare land and built a house and called it Hazza Farm.

There are fish in the river, but the feeding is poor and they are small. The main species are Squalius alburnoides (Pt: Bordalo) . Chondrostoma polylepis.(Boga) and Barbus bocagei (Barbo - a Barbel). There are plenty of crayfish of the species Red Swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and they make good eating.

We have been here 15 years, slightly less on Hazza Farm before that, and about the same in Australia before that, originating in Norhtumberland.

I might still be here in 30 years, although I would be hiring a lot of help at harvest times. It will be worth a lot more by then though. Each year will see the trees grow bigger and produce more.

We are not in a wine growing area. We have about 100 vines and I made my own wine for the first few years, but good stuff is so cheap in the shops that I no longer bother. I know a bloke locally who makes his into Aguardente (Brandy) which is legal in a sensible country like Portugal, and stills are for sale in a few places. Probably the best use for the grapes in this area. On the other hand olive oil from this area is particularly good.

 

[bobk]

Thank you all for the quick responses, and the good wishes too, I will not quote everybody, but just reply in order where appropriate.

PurePortugal is on the list of those places to use - we do not expect a great rush of viewers so will be spreading the ads over time. I started a Facebook account this morning, and my webpage designer will be setting up what is required.

I had not thought about changing my name. I have been Old McDonald for nearly 30 years, when we bought bare land and built a house and called it Hazza Farm.

There are fish in the river, but the feeding is poor and they are small. The main species are Squalius alburnoides (Pt: Bordalo) . Chondrostoma polylepis.(Boga) and Barbus bocagei (Barbo - a Barbel). There are plenty of crayfish of the species Red Swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and they make good eating.

We have been here 15 years, slightly less on Hazza Farm before that, and about the same in Australia before that, originating in Norhtumberland.

I might still be here in 30 years, although I would be hiring a lot of help at harvest times. It will be worth a lot more by then though. Each year will see the trees grow bigger and produce more.

We are not in a wine growing area. We have about 100 vines and I made my own wine for the first few years, but good stuff is so cheap in the shops that I no longer bother. I know a bloke locally who makes his into Aguardente (Brandy) which is legal in a sensible country like Portugal, and stills are for sale in a few places. Probably the best use for the grapes in this area. On the other hand olive oil from this area is particularly good.

Where's your nearest airport ? Porto

What notary costs on the purchase price . 10% ?

 

[RushesToo]

@Old McDonald

.......
I am not desperate to sell, and would have liked another 5 years here, but have decided I want to spend some time on the Azores (lots of new things to grow) and get back into sea fishing, which I have not done for 30 years. After that we still intend to die in Scotland.

From your blog:
http://oldmcdonaldinportugal.blogspot.com/

"When visiting our son and his family in the UK for Christmas 2017 I had a bad fall whilst walking down a steep hill (I eventually hit the ground after hopping at an increasing speed) and have not fully recovered. I am not crippled, but much less agile than before the fall."​

You should avoid Scotland, it is trying to kill you rather than be there for you to die, The Azores sounds a very sensible alternative.
I can recommend to others on here this:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/84252
Which explains why Old McDonalds posts are always worth a read.

Old McDonald I wish you the very best and am sad that I can't be of more help to you apart from offering to post your new Facebook page when it is ready to go. Please post it here as I am sure that others would be happy to do so as well.

 

[Still Farming]

Lot's of old mcdonald's on FB looks like too.

 

[Al R]

It looks lovely!
Photo 5 of the shed, I like the wild oats in the front of the picture, gives it that “country” look that most professional photographers try and get in

 

[Old McDonald]

Where's your nearest airport ? Porto

What notary costs on the purchase price . 10% ?

Lisbon, 235kms and motorway speed all the way there after 15 kms, until speed restrictions slow you down to 100 and then 80 close to the airport. I always allow three hours, having done the journey on multiple occasions for my MiL. I have done it in a little over 2 hours, but that means driving at the speed limit - or near enough.

I cannot answer your second question offhand, but will ask my Advogada (a lovely lady who has the ability to charm the socks off officialdom) and come back to you.

 

[Still Farming]

True country get away .

 

[Old McDonald]

It looks lovely!
Photo 5 of the shed, I like the wild oats in the front of the picture, gives it that “country” look that most professional photographers try and get in

The photos were taken by my nearest neighbour, a lovely lady (41 and single) about half a mile away, and the wild oats were unintentional. She was very reluctant to take the photos herself, and had used a professional for her Airbn'b (?sp) account but I knew I could tell her where to stand to take them. The truth will out and I have nothing to hide so am happy that wild oats appear in the photos. They are on more than one, although the other that I can think of was taken from over the river and not on my own place.